Today, the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee held a markup hearing to consider H.R. 9338, the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026. The Damage Prevention Action Center (DPAct) sent a letter encouraging support for the legislation, which is similar to S. 2975, the PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025, that passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent in April.
The letter was sent to Committee leadership including Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Subcommittee on Energy leadership including Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH) and Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL).
The letter may be found here and reads in part:
“DPAct commends the Committee’s leadership in prioritizing the advancement of the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026. H.R. 9338 provides an efficient, effective framework to improve our industry’s safety while ensuring the integrity and resilience of underground utility infrastructure across America.”
As the national association advocating for public policies that prevent damage to buried utilities, DPAct notes the legislation is an important opportunity to strengthen America’s underground infrastructure safety and damage prevention framework, and should reflect the bipartisan consensus already achieved with the Senate bill.
Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, Executive Director of DPAct, issued the following statement:
“We applaud the House Energy & Commerce Committee for taking up this important legislation and for its continued focus on buried infrastructure safety and damage prevention. H.R. 9338 is an opportunity to make meaningful progress, and we urge members to pass the bill. By building on the bipartisan consensus that passed S. 2975, Congress can deliver a stronger, more workable bill that helps prevent dig-ins, protects critical infrastructure, and keeps American communities safe.”
DPAct’s letter highlights key pieces of H.R. 9338 that will reduce the incidences of damage to buried utilities in the U.S., including:
- Removing municipal and special-interest exemptions to 811 participation to ensure safety and damage prevention rules are applied consistently.
- Ensuring that newly installed facilities are locatable and encourage the use of GIS to make the 811 process more efficient and effective.
- Adopting stronger state accountability standards so federal grant eligibility depends not just on having laws on the books, but on active enforcement, reporting and meaningful compliance.
Background:
Buried utility lines are damaged nearly 200,000 times each year in the United States — about once every three minutes — causing service outages, injuries and fatalities and costing the U.S. more than $30 billion annually. DPAct urges Congress to enact a strong, bipartisan pipeline safety and damage prevention bill that reflects the best elements of both chambers’ work and delivers practical protections for excavators, utilities, pipeline operators and the communities they serve.
About DPAct:
The Damage Prevention Action Center advocates for public policies and industry practices that protect our Nation’s critical underground utility infrastructure and those who work and live near these important assets. DPAct focuses on educating policymakers at the federal, state and local levels on the importance of updating and enacting laws and regulations to meet the needs of today by implementing effective damage prevention policies, as well as understanding the significant economic, environmental, safety and social impacts of dig-ins on communities.
